Rajapaksa in Tirumala to offer prayers

Tirupati:  Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived here on Tuesday to offer prayers at the famous Tirumala temple.

He arrived at Ranigunta airport, 20 km from here, by a special flight and proceeded by a helicopter to University Stadium and then onward to the hill shrine of Tirumala by road. A full-fledged security arrangement has been made.

Rajapaksa is scheduled to fly back to Sri Lanka tomorrow after offering prayers to Lord Balaji, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravishankar Reddy said. He is slated to perform 'Suprabhatam, the first temple service of the day, on Wednesday morning.

The visit comes a day after Rajapaksa submitted his nomination papers for the next month's presidential election in the island coutry.